DCLM DAILY MANNA 16 AUGUST 2021 — STEADFASTNESS UNDER PRESSURE
TOPIC: Steadfastness Under Pressure (DCLM Daily Manna 16 August 2021)
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 21:10-15
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
KEY VERSE: “And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath” (1 SAMUEL 21:10).
MESSAGE:
“Endurance The Thresher” was a submarine that could go great depths because of its great strength. The steel bulkheads were built to withstand great pressure of tons of sea water. But on one occasion, it went too deep and was finally crushed into little pieces like a plastic model. Yet there are little fishes that live even deeper in the sea than the submarine went. How do these little fishes survive? It depends on how well you can deal with pressure.
Also Read: OPEN HEAVEN 16 AUGUST 2021 – WHO DO YOU REPRESENT?
From our text, David, now under pressure from King Saul, decided to seek refuge in the Philistine town where Goliath, Israel’s enemy came from. He soon discovered that he had walked right into an enemy territory and now clearly in danger of losing his life. In that confusion, he decided to feign madness before King Achish, who ordered him to be thrust out of his presence.
David’s asylum request from Achish the Philistine king of Gath was a wrong move. And coming with the sword of the giant he killed a few months earlier added to the obvious miscalculations of the moment because it gave him out as David the enemy who slew their champion.
Before we rush to condemn him, we must understand that David was too young to face the avalanche of pressure coming from Saul and his sycophants. He acted the way he did due to his precarious situation.
When pushed to the wall, we may take decisions in a hurry but let us realise that such decisions taken when our minds are disturbed are most often miscalculated. People have left their families, the church, or even the faith entirely in their bid to respond to pressure. We should rather pray and wait on the Lord for direction under such circumstances. He has promised to be with and deliver us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Moments of pressure are times to look up to God.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 16-20
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
